Summary
Project Summary Strong, longstanding evidence points to important roles for the cerebellum in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), yet cerebellar mechanisms remain understudied in ASDs compared to neocortical circuits. Anatomical and functional studies have pointed, in particular, to changes in the synapses of Purkinje cells, the sole output neurons of the cerebellum. Purkinje cells were reduced both in number and size in ASD cases, particularly in the cerebellar vermis and other sub-regions involved in cognition and emotional control. Genes localized to Purkinje cell synapses were down-regulated
